State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Fearing Trump's Trade Policies, U.S. States and Foreign Countries Grow Closer

Governing: Lucid Motors, an electric carmaker, scouted 60 locations looking for a place to build a $700 million manufacturing plant. Top of the list: Casa Grande in southern Arizona, which sits close to Lucid’s supply chain in nearby Mexico. But Lucid executives were concerned about the state’s relations with Mexico, given Arizona’s anti-immigration policies. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey knew one surefire way to allay their fears. He asked them to call Gov. Claudia Pavlovich, his counterpart in the neighboring province of Sonora, Mexico. She offered them every assurance about the close and improving ties between her government and Arizona.

That was enough for Lucid. “There were many reasons why we chose the site in Casa Grande,” says David Salguero, marketing manager for Lucid, “including the spirit of collaboration and understanding that both Gov. Ducey and Gov. Pavlovich brought to the table.”

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